Smartphones
Samsung is announcing today that it has begun mass production of 12 GB and 16 GB LPDDR5X modules in the industry's thinnest package. Samsung's shrunken memory packages measure approximately 0.65 mm in thickness, making them 0.06 mm (~9%) thinner than standard LPDDR5X packages. The company expects the new DRAM devices to be used to make for thinner smartphones, or improve their performance by enabling better airflow inside. According to the company's press release, Samsung achieved this ultra-thin design by employing new packaging methods, such as optimized printed circuit boards (PCBs) and epoxy molding compound (EMC). Additionally, an optimized back-lapping process was used to further reduce the height of the packages. The newly developed DRAM packages are not only thinner by 9% compared to previous models...
Huawei Launches the NOVA Brand: Two Midrange Snapdragon 625 Smartphones
This week at IFA 2016, Huawei has announced another brand/line of smartphones. The NOVA brand, to counter the Mate line of devices and go up against its own H5onor...
8 by Ian Cutress on 9/1/2016IFA 2016: Huawei Press Event
We're here with Huawei, expecting a new phone or two.
13 by Ian Cutress on 9/1/2016HTC Announces One A9s: Helio P10, 5" 720p Display
Today at IFA 2016 HTC is announcing an updated variant of the One A9 called the One A9s. In this case, the update is designed to put the One...
9 by Joshua Ho on 9/1/2016Motorola Adds The Moto Z Play Droid, Reveals Pricing For Unlocked Versions
Motorola’s modular Moto Z family gets a new member today. The Moto Z Play Droid costs less than the Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid, both of...
8 by Matt Humrick on 8/31/2016The LG X Power Review
In the mid-range segment of the smartphone market you really have two types of products. The first are smartphones like the Moto G, which try to provide a good...
48 by Brandon Chester on 8/31/2016The Meizu PRO 6 Review
The Meizu PRO 6 features an attractive design and excellent build quality, but is not a clear upgrade over the previous generation PRO 5. Lurking inside its all-aluminum chassis...
48 by Matt Humrick on 8/26/2016Xiaomi Launches Redmi Note 4 in China
While we normally don’t cover China-only smartphone releases, Xiaomi is a fairly major player as far as volume as they were one of the first companies in the industry...
34 by Joshua Ho on 8/25/2016Android 7.0 Nougat Released
Google has completed its five month beta program and is officially releasing Android 7.0 Nougat today. The company will begin rolling it out to select Nexus devices, including the...
51 by Matt Humrick on 8/22/2016honor Press Event Live Blog
We're in the California Academy of Sciences in SF awaiting a press event for Honor.
9 by Ian Cutress & Joshua Ho on 8/16/2016The Samsung Galaxy Note7 (S820) Review
This year has been difficult for smartphones, which is a bit of a paradox when you consider just how much better things have gotten compared to last year. With...
203 by Joshua Ho on 8/16/2016The Motorola Moto G4 and G4 Plus Review
At this point in time, I don't think the Moto G line needs any introduction. With the original Moto G in 2013 Motorola really went beyond what was thought...
94 by Brandon Chester on 8/15/2016Meizu M3E Launched: Helio P10, 5.5-inch Full HD, ¥1299
Today at a launch event in Beijing, Meizu announced the latest edition to its lower-cost M-series of smartphones. The M3E adheres to Meizu’s established design and construction methods, with...
20 by Matt Humrick on 8/10/2016Hands On With the Samsung Galaxy Note7
The Galaxy Note line is a staple at this point, a segment that Samsung truly owns as the first mover and has been wildly successful in ways that Samsung...
74 by Joshua Ho on 8/2/2016OnePlus Improves Video Quality On The OnePlus 3 In OxygenOS 3.2.2
In my experience OxygenOS has provided a fairly stable and fast experience on the OnePlus 3, which is something I wasn't really able to say about OxygenOS on the...
24 by Brandon Chester on 7/28/2016The Motorola Moto Z & Moto Z Force (Droid Editions) Review
The new Moto Z Droids’ specifications and hardware are impressive but not that much different than what’s currently available with other flagships. To make its new phones more enticing...
77 by Matt Humrick on 7/28/2016Apple Announces Q3 FY 2016 Results: App Store Up, Hardware Down
Today Apple announced their third quarter results for their fiscal year 2016. Much like last quarter, Apple has struggled to maintain the sales pace of the iPhone 6s, compared...
56 by Brett Howse on 7/26/2016HP’s Elite x3 Windows 10 Smartphone to Cost $699, Set to Be Available Worldwide
When HP introduced its flagship Elite x3 phablet earlier this year at MWC, the smartphone made a very positive impression mostly because HP decided to make a bold move...
67 by Anton Shilov on 7/21/2016Verizon Announces Price And Availability For Moto Z And Moto Z Force Droid Editions
Today Motorola and Verizon announced the availability and pricing details for the Moto Z Droid Edition and the Moto Z Force Droid Edition, the Verizon exclusive versions of Motorola's...
6 by Matt Humrick on 7/21/2016Meizu MX6 Launched: 10-core Helio X20, 5.5-inch Full HD, ¥1999
The launch cadence for Meizu smartphones has been rather speedy as of late. Already this year we’ve seen the introduction of the m3, the m3 Note, the Pro 6...
15 by Ian Cutress on 7/19/2016The Meizu M3 Note vs. Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Review: Comparing Notes
In this article, we’ll be examining the Meizu M3 note and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. The similarities between these two phones extend beyond their “note” branding; they also...
80 by Matt Humrick on 7/12/2016